Is your business a crowd pleaser?

When the global financial crisis struck in 2008, markets across the world reeled, the housing market turned on its side, redundancies were rampant and the investment landscape transformed overnight.

As banks turned off the taps on loans, budding entrepreneurs without a track record had to find new ways to raise capital to fund growth.

Along came crowdfunding, which allowed the power of people to finance projects. As a return on their investments, these so-called crowdfunders gained an equity stake, and often a sense of pride from having financed something they believe in.